History YMMV / CyranoDeBergerac

** For instance: in the original, Cyrano alludes to Théophile de Viau's play ''Pyrame et Thisbé'' (based on Creator/{{Ovid}}'s [[Literature/TheMetamorphoses Pyramus and Thisbe]]). From an earlier translation: "Behold the nose that mars the harmony of its master's face, blushing its treachery!" [[labelnote:Original line]]"Behold the ''knife'' that marred.. its master's ''breast''..."[[/labelnote]]

** For instance: in the original, Cyrano alludes to Théophile de Viau's play ''Pyrame et Thisbé'' (based on Creator/{{Ovid}}'s [[Literature/TheMetamorphoses Pyramus and Thisbe]]). From an earlier translation: "Behold the nose that mars the harmony of its master's face, blushing its treachery!"
*** In Hooker's translation, he alludes to Creator/ChristopherMarlowe's ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus'': "Was this the nose that launched a thousand ships, and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?"
*** In Burgess's translation, he alludes to Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'': “Oh, that this too, too solid nose would melt!"

** For instance: in the original, Cyrano alludes to Théophile de Viau's play ''Pyrame et Thisbé'' (based on Creator/{{Ovid}}'s [[Literature/TheMetamorphoses Pyramus and Thisbe]]). From an earlier translation: "Behold the nose that mars the harmony of its master's face, blushing its treachery!" In Hooker's translation, he alludes to Creator/ChristopherMarlowe's ''Theatre/DoctorFaustus'': "Was this the nose that launched a thousand ships, and burnt the topless towers of Ilium?"
In Burgess's translation, he alludes to Creator/WilliamShakespeare's ''Theatre/{{Hamlet}}'': “Oh, that this too, too solid nose would melt!"

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* {{Woolseyism}}: Brian Hooker's translation, which finds appropriate equivalent literary references in English for all the French references of the original text. Anthony Burgess was inspired by Hooker to use the same approach.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Cyrano de Bergerac, an ImpoverishedPatrician StarvingArtist, unknown yet talented playwright, is offered the Patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful man in all France, and turns it down. Lampshaded by [[StraightMan le Bret]].
** Roxane decides to go on with her intent to marry Christian on the spot despite knowing full well her AbhorrentAdmirer de Guiche, who told her a few minutes ago he had the papers to send Christian's regiment at war, and whom she only barely convinced to ''not'' use them to pull out an UriahGambit on Cyrano, is coming. Predictably, when he inevitably arrives and finds out, he is infuriated, and goes on with his plan to send Cyrano and Christian to get killed at Arras out of spite.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: At the time this play came out, Realism and Naturalism had been the dominating genre in French literature for a while, with things such as over-the-top epic tales of heroism and romantism as glorified in ''Cyrano'' being seen as cheesy, unrealistic and outdated, to the point writers like Emile Zola had written essays about how trying to bring them back today would be laughable. ''Everyone'' reportedly expected the play to fail spectacularly, including Rostand himself, who went as far as to apologize to Cyrano's actor for dragging him into it just before the premiere. As it turned out, people loved it, and it became one of the most famous french plays in History.

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano is a GentlemanSnarker BoisterousBruiser who happens to be both [[CulturedBadass a brillant scholar in about everything from writing to poetry]], a witty DeadpanSnarker, and a deadly swordman. His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him interrupting a play to insult and throw out an actor he dislikes, before casually throwing money at the theater to pay for the inconvenience. He easily [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] everyone who dares [[BerserkButton bring up his nose]], once [[ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask while composing a ballad]], actively invokes BullyingADragon for the sake of [[BloodKnight having new enemies to oppose]], and willingly throws himself in a battle against one hundred men, [[OneManArmy only to still come out on top]].

** Roxane decides to go on with her intent to marry Christian on the spot despite knowing full will her AbhorrentAdmirer de Guiche, who told her a few minutes ago he had the papers to send Christian's regiment at war, and whom she only barely convinced to ''not'' use them to pull out an UriahGambit on Cyrano, is coming. Predictably, when he inevitably arrives and finds out, he is infuriated, and goes on with his plan to send Cyrano and Christian to get killed at Arras out of spite.

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano is a GentlemanSnarker BoisterousBruiser who happens to be both [[CulturedBadass a brillant scholar in about everything from writing to poetry]], a witty DeadpanSnarker, and [[MasterSwordman a deadly swordman]]. His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him interrupting a play to insult and throw out an actor he dislikes, before casually throwing money at the theater to pay for the inconvenience. He easily [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomp]] everyone who dares [[BerserkButton bring up his nose]], once [[ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask while composing a ballad]], actively invokes BullyingADragon for the sake of [[BloodKnight having new enemies to oppose]], and willingly throws himself in a battle against one hundred men, [[OneManArmy only to still come out on top]].

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano is a GentlemanSnarker BoisterousBruiser who happens to be both a brillant scholar in about everything from writing to poetry, a witty DeadpanSnarker and a deadly swordman. His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him interrupting a play to insult and throw out an actor he dislikes, before casually throwing money at the theater to pay for the inconvenience. He easily curb-stomp everyone who dares [[BerserkButton bring up his nose]], once [[ExcuseMeWhileIMultitask while composing a ballad]], and actively invokes BullyingADragon for the sake of [[BloodKnight having new enemies to oppose]], and willingly throws himself in a battle against one hundred men, [[OneManArmy only to still come out on top]].

* WhatAnIdiot: Cyrano de Bergerac, an ImpoverishedPatrician StarvingArtist, unknown yet talented playwright, is offered the Patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful man in all France, and turns it down.

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano is a GentlemanSnarker BoisteriousBruiser who happens to be both a brillant scholar in about everything from writing to poetry, a witty DeadpanSnarker and a deadly swordman. His EstablishingCharacterMoment involves him interrupting a play to insult and throw out an actor he dislikes, before casually throwing money at the theater to pay for the inconvenience. He easily curb-stomp everyone who dares [[BerserkButton bring up his nose]] and actively invokes BullyingADragon for the sake of [[BloodKnight having new enemies to oppose]], and willingly throws himself in a battle against one hundred men, [[OneManArmy only to still come out on top]].
* DesignatedVillain: Count de Guiche, to some extent. He ''is'' a JerkAss inclined to scheming and DisproportionateRetribution, but he was initially rather respectful and friendly with Cyrano until the latter refused his offer of patronage and provoked him, the Gascons basically hate him for not adhering to their IdiotHero HonorBeforeReason way when he is shown to be genuinely competent in his own area and faithful to the king, and he genuinely loves Roxane only for her to treat his affection with disdain and openly take advantage on his feelings. Given all these factors, it's not hard to feel sympathy for him, especially considering he displays VillainousValor and ends up committing a HeelFaceTurn.

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano. And how!

* AwesomeEgo: Cyrano, except for the nose thing he thinks really highly of himself.

* DesignatedVillain: Count de Guiche.

* AwesomeEgo: Cyrano

* WhatAnIdiot: CyranoDeBergerac, an ImpoverishedPatrician StarvingArtist, unknown yet talented playwright, is offered the Patronage of Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful man in all France, and turns it down.

* MartyStu: Actually a subversion. Cyrano IS a CowardlyLion and has issues confessing to Roxanne.

* JerkassWoobie: Cyrano is a JerkAss, but his MommyIssues and his [[MartyrdomCulture upbringing]] make him sympathetic.

* CrazyAwesome: Cyrano.

* JerkassWoobie: Cyrano is a JerkAss, but his MommyIssues and his [[MartyrdomCulture upbringing]] make him sympathetic.* TearJerker: Let's just say the last scene and have done with it.

* JerkassWoobie: Cyrano is a JerkAss, but his MommyIssues and his [[MartyrdomCulture upbringing]] make his sympathetic. His attitude with the [[SmittenTeenageGirl Buffet-girl]],[[ButtMonkey Raguenau]] and the [[NobleProfession nuns]] show us he is a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. His attitude with anyone who is not [[OfThePeople a Gascon]] show us he is definitely a JerkAss, and the universe of the play is [[HumiliationConga constantly placing him in unpleasant situations]]. In Act I Scene V he reveals to his best friend Le Bret a hidden, softer side talking about how he feels he never will be love by Roxane because his enormous nose:
--> '''Le Bret:''' Well, but so much the better! Tell her so!
--> She saw your triumph here this very night!
--> '''Cyrano:''' Look well at me—then tell me, with what hope
--> This vile protuberance can inspire my heart!
--> I do not lull me with illusions—yet
--> At times I'm weak: in evening hours dim
--> I enter some fair pleasance, perfumed sweet;
--> With my poor ugly devil of a nose
--> I scent spring's essence—in the silver rays
--> I see some knight—a lady on his arm,
--> And think 'To saunter thus 'neath the moonshine,
--> I were fain to have my lady, too, beside!'
--> Thought soars to ecstasy. . .O sudden fall!
--> — The shadow of my profile on the wall!
--> '''Le Bret:''' ''(tenderly):'' My friend!...
--> '''Cyrano:''' My friend, at times 'tis hard, 'tis bitter,
--> To feel my loneliness—my own ill-favor...
* TearJerker: Let's just say the last scene and have done with it.
** "Yes, Roxane."
* WhatAnIdiot: CyranoDeBergerac, an ImpoverishedPatrician StarvingArtist, unknown yet talented playwright, is offered the Patronage of [[MagnificentBastard Cardenal Richelieu]], [[ManBehindTheMan The most powerful man in all France]] and [[RenaissanceMan known playwright]], who will only [[ExecutiveMeddling ''edit one or two verses'']] of [[NewMeat Cyrano’s unproduced play]], ''"Agrippine"''.
** '''You’d Expect:''' A serious, talented StarvingArtist who [[NewMeat has never been represented in scene]] [[PayingTheirDues will recognize this as a golden opportunity and be tolerant of a]] [[ManBehindTheMan powerful]] Mecenas [[ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney with a lot of money]] [[RenaissanceMan who really has experience with playwriting]] [[ExecutiveMeddling and whom really]] [[TropesAreNotBad could improve]] ''"Agrippine"''.
** '''Instead:''' [[SmallNameBigEgo Cyrano arrogantly]] invokes ProtectionFromEditors and [[UngratefulBastard nastily rejects the patronage]]. To put things in perspective, rejecting Cardenal Richelieu’s patronage in TheCavalierYears Paris it’s like someone in MarvelUniverse rejecting DoctorDoom’s patronage, or someone in DCUniverse rejecting LexLuthor’s patronage ''when he was PresidentEvil of the United States''.
** '''However:''' Cyrano is a SmallNameBigEgo MartyrWithoutACause who wants to be TheLastDJ and just some minutes ago [[HeartBrokenBadass has discovered that Roxane, his loved one, is in love with someone else]].

* TheAce: Two examples:
** Roxane: She is [[SoBeautifulItsACurse extremely beautiful]], witty and eloquent, [[GuileHero capable of manipulate De Guiche, the friar, and all the officials of the Spanish Army to get into the battlefield]], and a mistress of the XanatosSpeedChess. Her only real defect could be her obsession with external beauty and [[ManHands demanding perfection in her suitors]], but even that was overcame at Act IV, so she is not a BrokenAce… her problem is, two of his three suitors are so intimidated by her own awesomeness that they decide to create…
** [[spoiler: The Hero of Romance]]: A ShadowArchetype created blending Christian’s beauty and Cyrano’s eloquence, that includes only positives things because Christian and Cyrano believe that ‘’’it’s’’’ the only one who has a chance to be paired with Roxane.
* LargeHam: Depardieu as Cyrano in TheMovie.